Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters were first introduced in 1979 and have since become a widely used medical device.

IVC filters are primarily used to address potential blood clots by dissolving them, with both permanent and temporary models available. However, a number of patients have complained of IVC filter issues that have led to further medical complications.

The IVC filter complications patients have reported have been linked to the temporary, or removable, models as they are allegedly lower quality than the permanent models. The IVC filters are metal cage-shaped devices which are implanted directly into the body’s inferior vena cava.

The IVC filters work by stopping a blood clot that forms in the legs or pelvis from traveling to the heart or lungs. The inferior vena cava is vital for the patient’s bodily functions, as it is the main vein that carries blood back through the heart and lungs.

Doctors often recommend IVC filters when patients suffer serious injuries or have recently undergone surgery, which increases the chances of blood clot formation in both cases. Even though these devices have extended the lives of numerous patients, there have been numerous reports of IVC filter complications from patients.

Overview of IVC Filter Complications

The IVC filter issues reported include vein and organ perforation, device migration, and the device breaking apart. IVC filters would reportedly break apart while inside the inferior vena cava and would travel throughout the body, which would damage organs along the way.

These IVC filter complications have allegedly occurred primarily in temporary filter models, with patients complaining that they are not as well made as the permanent models. After the adverse event reports reached a certain number, the FDA released a 2010 warning regarding IVC filter complications.

The agency stated that it had received approximately 921 reports of IVC filter issues, from 2005 to 2010 citing device migration, filter perforation, filter fracture, and device embolization.

The majority of these IVC filter issues involved device migration at 328 reports, which is described when the device moves away from the site of implant. The FDA stated that device embolization, or device detachment, was the second most commonly mentioned complication at 146 reports.

At the time of the 2010 warning, the FDA cautioned physicians against using IVC filters due to the possible complications that came with them. During this time, manufacturing companies continued to market both the temporary and permanent models despite the concern of IVC filter complications.

Several years later in May 2014, the FDA released an updated warning regarding IVC filters addressing the temporary models. The agency stated that these devices should be removed between 29 and 54 days after the blood clot is resolved to avoid IVC filter complications.

Despite the severity of these IVC filter issues, manufacturing companies had allegedly concealed these problems for years. Patients allege that the manufacturing companies had deliberately concealed this information in order to protect the product’s market interest.

Patients who suffered unexpected IVC filter complications may be eligible to file legal action against the manufacturing companies. Potential claimants should contact a specialized lawyer to determine if they have a IVC filter lawsuit.